Turkey successfully tested its domestically developed Tayfun short-range ballistic missile on February 3, reaching a range of 561 kilometers (350 miles), Defense Industry Agency (SSB) president Haluk Görgün announced.
This was Turkey’s third test of its domestically developed Tayfun (Typhoon) short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), Görgün said in a post on X.
The missile, built by Turkish defense contractor Roketsan, was fired from a mobile launcher at Rize-Artvin Airport on the Black Sea coast.
It struck a maritime target off the port city of Sinop, more than doubling the range of Turkey’s existing tactical missiles. Air and sea traffic within a 700-kilometer radius was temporarily halted during the operation.
Görgün confirmed the test validated Tayfun’s performance parameters, calling it a milestone in Turkey’s precision-strike capabilities. He said the launch contributed significantly to the process of development.
According to documentation released by Roketsan, the Tayfun missile system is designed for deep-strike capability with high reliability. Its hypersonic cruise speed enables it to evade air defense systems, while its high-precision strike capability prevents unintended collateral damage.
The system offers logistical advantages and operational flexibility through its quick deployment time and rapid-fire position relocation capabilities. It also features enhanced electronic warfare resistance against global positioning system jamming.
The Tayfun missile can operate in all weather conditions, day or night, due to its low environmental sensitivity.
Turkey’s journey to develop domestic missile capabilities traces back to the 1990s, initially through defense cooperation with China amid limited technology transfer from Western allies.
The current Tayfun program builds on decades of progress, starting with the joint development of the Yıldırım (Lightning) missile with China, which had a 150-kilometer range.
Turkey later extended this capability with the 300-kilometer range Bora (Storm) missile, developed through technology transfer between Roketsan and Chinese defense contractor China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC).
This development paved the way for today’s Tayfun missile.
Turkey’s indigenous development of the Tayfun SRBM exceeds the 300-kilometer range limit established by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a multilateral export control agreement founded under US leadership in 1987.
The MTCR focuses on preventing the spread of missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, particularly systems that can carry a 500-kilogram payload at least 300 kilometers. While the regime doesn’t legally prohibit members from developing missiles for their own defense, it restricts technology transfers between countries.
Turkey, as an MTCR member, can continue developing systems like Tayfun for national defense using domestic capabilities, provided it adheres to export control obligations. The key requirement is that such systems must not be transferred to other countries without proper authorization.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced plans to accelerate development of a 2,000-kilometer range ballistic missile during the year’s first cabinet meeting on January 6.